Roses and Interrupted Lives
by LadyMoonSilver
Summary: What happened after A Long Way From Home. Read and enjoy. A few bad words and maybe not politically correct in a spot or two. Adult situations. You've been warned.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Borrowing the services of a few old friends again.

It's still the mid nineties and the world is changing.

The original characters are all mine. They live only in my imagination. The ships mentioned are once again made up and do not exist.

The Circle of the Rose Warriors doesn't exist, but should.

The Order of Life Interrupted and the semi colon tattoo is based on actual fact.

Read and enjoy, reviews welcome.

Remember these are adults who are soldiers and sailors. Some 'salty' language and adult situations.

One day someone is going to have to explain to me why it's perfectly fine to describe in detail murder and violence, but not people making love.

Got your attention, didn't I?

LMS

* * *

There's no need to be so nervous," Steve said, looking down at Maggie. "She's going to love you."

Maggie chewed her thumbnail, trying not to look as anxious as she felt. "It's not your sister I'm worried about, it's mine. Vinnie is, well, she's Vinnie."

"She can't be that bad," Steve said.

"Bet?"

They were at the passenger terminal at Honolulu International, waiting for the flight from LA with Steve's sister and brother-in-law on board, as well as Maggie's sister Vinnie. The plane had just landed a few minutes earlier, and they were waiting at the gate. Steve spotted Mary Ann and Tom Whalen and waved them over. Steve embraced his sister, kissing her on the cheek, and shook hands with Tom.

"Tom, Mary Ann, this is Maggie," Steve said.

Maggie looked up at Mary Ann. There was a definite family resemblance. Mary Ann was tall and had the same blue eyes, prominent cheek bones, and slight cleft in her chin. The only real difference was her hair was flaming red, instead of dark chestnut brown with auburn highlights. "Hello," she said, "Steve's told me all about you."

"Oh, honey, don't be so shy," she caught Maggie in a Shalimar scented hug. "This is the first time my brother has ever had me fly two thousand miles to meet his girlfriend. And it's about time, too. He didn't tell me you were so pretty, or so tiny."

"Thank you," Maggie said, blushing. "My sister was supposed to be on this flight, too, only I don't see her anywhere."

"That's because I'm surrounded by tall people, bitch!" Came a soft southern drawl what had a slight Texas twang.

There was Vinnie, all five foot two of her, standing behind Tom and Mary Ann, partially hidden from view. She stepped between the two of them and caught Maggie in a giant hug.

 _My god,_ Steve thought _, they could almost be twins. Now I know what she would have looked like before her hair turned silver._ Vinnie, was slightly taller than Maggie and carried about twenty more pounds, most of it on her chest and hips. She was ten years Maggie's junior, had straight red hair done in a short pixie cut, and while her eyes were green, they were about two shades lighter and didn't have the black ring around the irises. Her given name was Virginia, but she'd been Vinnie since she was two and refused to answer to anything else.

"Meet my sister Vinnie, who's supposed to be on her best behavior. Vinnie, this is Steve, his sister Mary Ann, and her husband Tom."

"Cool," said Vinnie. "Let's get out of here, I need a cigarette."

Maggie rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "Y'all have to excuse my sister, she's had no home training and then she joined the Navy," she said by way of explanation.

"Speak for yourself, heifer," Vinnie said, looking up at Steve. "Damn, they grow 'em tall around here. Maggie says you're a cop. Does this mean you know where to find the good weed?"

Maggie's face reddened. The women in her family had the habit of saying what they thought as soon as they thought it. Nineteen years in the Army had given Maggie a small measure of control. Vinnie's one tour with the Navy had only managed to enhance hers. "She's only saying that to get a reaction out of you, honey," Maggie said, putting her arm around Steve's waist at the sight of his frozen smile. "The part of her brain that censors her mouth didn't get installed. I think it's genetic, practically a birth defect."

Steve gave a small laugh, as did his sister. Well, Maggie had warned him. Vinnie had served in the Navy during the Gulf War and had gone to nursing school on the GI Bill afterward. She now lived in Texas with her boyfriend and was the mother of three year old twin boys. She'd left both the boyfriend and the kids back home, stating she wanted a real vacation.

"Let's go find your bags, shall we?" Steve said, "And the smoking area for Vinnie."

"Yes," Maggie said, looking directly at her younger sister, "because if you light up in my car, I'm going to leave you on the side of the road."

"You haven't yet," Vinnie said, searching her bag for her cigarettes and lighter.

"There's always a first time."

* * *

It was Steve's idea, the whole meet-the-family bash. Maggie had finally agreed to move in with him, and he wanted her to meet what little family he had left. Maggie was convinced he was getting off lightly. Her family was one of those far reaching Southern ones with roots and branches everywhere. As it was, her parents refused to get on a plane for the flight from New Orleans to Hawaii, her other sister was working and her brother was a long haul trucker who was on the road more than he was home. Vinne, the only sibling Maggie really got on with, possibly because of their shared military experience, had jumped at the offer of a plane ticket to Honolulu.

After their visitors had claimed their luggage, Tom and Mary Ann went to pick up their rental car. Maggie, who had more leave on the books than the Army usually allowed, had taken a week off to visit with her sister and get to know Steve's. Tom and Mary Ann would meet them back at the house on Kalamanu Drive.

Steve drove Maggie's car back to Iolani Palace, Vinnie in tow. Listening to those two bicker was something new. He guessed it was something that sisters did. Like Vinnie, Mary Ann was ten years his junior but after their father died he'd been more of a dad to her than a big brother. Maybe it was because they were women.

"Hey," Vinnie said from the back seat. "I want to drive!"

"No!" Maggie said. "I saw what you did to mom's car and daddy's truck! You were famous for hitting stuff."

"That's cause neither one of them know how to park. If mom hadn't been parked there I'd never have hit her car with daddy's truck. Where we going anyway?"

"My office at Iolani Palace," Steve said. "I still have some things to do today."

"Wow! Cop stuff! I wanta see!"

Maggie was frantically trying to signal him 'not a good idea'. Either he wasn't paying attention or he was ignoring her. She decided on the latter.

"We'll be there in a few minutes," he said. "Iolani Palace is the only palace built on American soil. It was once occupied by Hawaiian royalty." Maggie had to smile. Steve had gone into what she called his 'tour guide phase.' The man did know his history. It was one the many things she dearly loved about him.

When Steve parked at Iolani he went around the car to open Maggie's door. Vinnie, who had to wait until Maggie folded down the front seat to climb out of the Mustang, was impressed. Maggie was impressed that Vinnie hadn't climbed out of the convertibles open roof.

"Hey," she said, "this one's got manners. Any more like him around here?"

"You've got a boyfriend back in Texas," Maggie said. "And two kids. I didn't think you were in the market for a new one."

"I'm always in the market." Vinnie replied. "Only I want a younger model."

 _I'm going to kill her,_ Maggie thought _, I'm going to kill her and dump her in a volcano. Oh, gods, why didn't mom send her to live with me when she was a teenager? I would have taught her a few manners_. Steve, fortunately, seemed to find Vinnie amusing.

At the Five-O offices Steve introduced Vinnie to the rest of the crew. Vinnie was surprised to see a young female sailor wearing Navy whites working there. Soon, she and Beverly Patterson were deep in a very serious conversation about shipboard life, the Gulf War, and the Mt Pinatubo disaster relief effort in the Philippines. Maggie left them to their chat and followed Steve into his office.

He sat at his desk and put his head in his hands, trying not to burst out laughing. Maggie couldn't tell if he was amused, angry, or exasperated. She stood behind his chair and massaged his shoulders until she felt the muscles start to relax.

"Your sister," he started.

"Is different," she said. "I know. And as I recall, I warned you."

Steve pulled Maggie into his lap and held her close. "Yes, she's different. And so are you. It would be a boring world if everyone were the same. It'd make my life a lot easier, but I'd be dead from boredom by the end of the first week." He cradled her face in his hands. She loved it when he did that because it made her feel like they were the only two people in the world. He was about to kiss her when the door burst open and Vinnie, followed by Beverly and Danny, burst into the room.

"We found her!" Beverly exclaimed.

"Found who?" Steve asked. Maggie was still on his lap. She kissed him on the cheek and got up, ready to deliver a lecture on knocking first to her sister.

"CPO Knight," Beverly said. "We were searching in the wrong place. She wasn't on the _Andromeda_ at all. She was on the _Coos Bay_. She'd been sent over because we were short handed in the IC department."

"The _Coos Bay_?" Maggie asked. "Vinnie wasn't that your ship?"

"Yeah," Vinnie said. "Good old AD 43. What y'all need the Sea Witch for? She retired last year. Bet y'all couldn't find her cause she's been divorced, remarried, and divorced again since the Gulf War. If y'all looking for someone named Knight that was two husbands ago. She's gone back to her maiden name, Lawson. And she retired as a senior chief. Y'all can spend the rest of the day looking for retired Senior Chief Shelby Lawson or I can just give you her address and phone number. Whichever one makes you frog hop."

 _Menehune's,_ Steve thought _, there is an entire family of menehune's living in South Louisiana and they don't even know it._ "Vinnie, we've been looking for that lady for the last two months and you find her for us in five minutes. Thank you."

"Hey, us women sailor's got to stick together." She spotted the Steve's diploma from Annapolis on the wall. "Holy shit!" she said. "You were a Navy officer?"

"Still is," Maggie said. "He's a Reserve Commander."

Vinnie smiled, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Don't expect me to behave, Commander. You're practically family. That means you're fair game."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he said. "Give Officer Williams Senior Chief Lawson's address and phone number. Danno, get the ball rolling on getting her here."

"Will do. Come on, ladies. Beverly, let's show Vinnie what Five-O does for a living."

After they had gone, Steve and Maggie were standing by the window, basking in the warm sunlight. He bent and kissed her softly. "Have I told you how amazing you are lately?" he asked.

"Yes, but you can tell me again because I like hearing it. Thank you for not killing my sister."

"She's still going back to Texas in a week, right?"

"That's about all the Vinnie I can handle at one time. I love you, Commander."

"I love you, too, Sergeant. I've got to go through a week's worth of paperwork. I'll see you at home." He really did like the way that sounded.

After kissing Steve goodbye Maggie went to collect Vinnie from the outer office. "Don't forget, Bev, girl's night out tomorrow. We're picking you up at six."

"You didn't say anything about a girl's night out, heifer," Vinnie said, addressing her sister. "You are not leaving me with Commander Po-Po in there while you go out and have fun. I'm so going with you."

"We were planning on that. Jenny, are you coming with us?" Maggie asked.

"I'm thinking about it." Jenny said.

"Cool! Mary Ann's coming, too. I think we've got the men running scared." Maggie said.

"What you _wahine's_ up too?" Kono asked. He'd just returned from the DA's office, having gone there to make a deposition on a recent arrest.

"Super secret girl's night out stuff; we could tell you but we'd have to kill you afterward. Kono, meet my baby sister, Vinnie. Vinnie, this is Kono who's last name I still can't pronounce."

"Kalakaua, just like it's spelled," he said, giving Vinnie an appreciative look.

"Well, hello Hawaiian." Vinnie said, extending her hand. Kono looked down at the second smallest white woman he'd ever met. He took her hand, her smaller one disappearing in his bigger one. This one had manna, too, only her's was different. _A_ _family of menehune's_ , he thought, wondering exactly where these two women got the magic that ran through their blood.

"Vinnie, quit drooling. We've got to go. Tom and Mary Ann are waiting at the house by now. If I don't see you for girl's night out, I'll see you for the party Sunday. Later, y'all."

"That big Hawaiian going to be at the party?" Vinnie asked, lighting a cigarette as they were going down the steps to where Maggie's car was parked.

"Yes, and the rest of the Five-O crew, and a few from HPD, and a some of the women I work with at Ft Shafter, and possibly even the governor so you had better be on your best behavior."

"Damn, girl," Vinnie said as they were getting into the car, "how'd you end up with that hot old guy and rubbing elbows with every cop in Hawaii?"

"Just lucky, I suppose," she dug her keys out of her bag and started the car. "And he's not that old, well, maybe to you, since you're not even thirty yet. After Michael was killed I wasn't even looking. Then one day, there he was and I suppose you could say the rest is history. Now I don't know what I'd do without him." She dropped the car into second gear as she pulled out into traffic.

"Ewwwww. You're talking about feelings. Gross."

Maggie laughed at her baby sister. "For that I'm taking the scenic route home so we can have lots and lots of time to talk about feelings and how you're going to behave yourself until you go home. And no smoking in my car!"


	2. Chapter 2

Danny knocked on the door, and then let himself in. Steve, as usual, was trying to finish the paperwork he'd managed to ignore all week.

"Got a minute?" Danny asked.

"Sure. I need a break from this stuff anyway. What do you have?"

Danny smiled, happy to be able to relay positive news. "We not only found Senior Chief Lawson, we have spoken to her on the phone. She remembers the entire incident. She says that she'd gone below to check the ship's phone lines when she saw our boy Waldrop carrying a bundle wrapped in a blanket up the stairs. Only the bundle was moving. She thought he'd smuggled one of the local bar girls on board and was trying to get her off the ship the same way. When she stopped him to find out what was going on, he dropped the bundle and got belligerent and when he put his hands on her she said she popped him up side his head so hard he was probably seeing stars for a week. Then she started yelling for security and hit the fire alarm. Waldrop disappeared down the passageway, leaving what turned out to be Beverly lying on deck, naked, bruised and bleeding. She picked Beverly up and took her to sick bay. She didn't know what the outcome of the incident was because the _Coos Bay_ left port the next day."

Steve nodded. "One more nail in that monsters coffin. Is she willing to testify before the Judge Advocate and the court martial board?"

"Ready, willing, and able," Danny said, "She's living in San Diego. I got the Judge Advocate at Coronado on the line and I've got her booked on the first flight out tomorrow morning. She'll be here tomorrow afternoon. We'll put her up at a nice hotel and she'll be ready for deposition first thing Monday morning."

Steve had known a retiree would come through. They always did when another sailor needed help.

"Good work." Steve said, "With the evidence we found in that monster's trophy collection and from the witness statements we've been able to collect so far, the Navy's got enough to ask for the death penalty." He had to resist the urge to gloat. Waldrop had happily boarded a flight from Singapore to Honolulu under the erroneous assumption that state charges would trump the ones from the Navy; no one had bothered to correct him until the prosecutor from the judge advocate's office had enlightened him.

"I hear he's not enjoying his brig time. Seems to have problem with the women on the security teams," Danny said, grinning evilly. Waldrop had left a trail of destruction from Whidbey Island to the Middle East. He had a trophy collection that could be tied to the deaths of thirty-three women. If it hadn't been for the intervention of Senior Chief Lawson, Beverly would have made thirty-four.

"That's Admiral Donner's turf, not mine. Can't do a thing about it. He's going to have to learn to respect women sailors."

"I hope they've all got tasers and permission to use them. Beverly and I are taking Chief Lawson out to dinner before she goes back to California. It's the least I can do. I owe her much more than that. If it hadn't been for her, I'd have never met Beverly."

"Danno," Steve said, suddenly becoming very serious. "I got the reply back from Quantico earlier today. If she wants it, Beverly is in the next class, and that starts in two weeks."

"Wow," Danny said, sitting down, "I didn't realize it would be so soon."

"The sooner the better. If she's not in this class, there isn't another one starting until next year. She's going to have to extend her time in the Navy by three years to cover this. The good thing is she won't be on board a ship. She'll probably be flying all over the Pacific, but she'll come back home to Hawaii."

Danny sadly shook his head. "What happened to the old days when men went to sea and women waited for them back home?"

"Those days are gone forever, little Brudah," _and don't I wish they'd come back_ , he added to himself. He had nightmares about Maggie being deployed back to any of the many war zones around the world.

"It's this class or wait until next year? And the course lasts a year? There are a lot of miles between here and Quantico."

"I'm going to ask you the same question you once asked me, little Brudah, how serious is this?"

"So serious I don't want her to go. And so serious I can't ask her to stay either, because if I did, she would. Then she'd never know what you and I and everyone else in this office already know. That she's going to make a damn good cop. She needs to do this, if for no other reason than to know that she can." Danny gave a rueful little smile. "Besides, you said it yourself; we need a new breed of cops. She'll be one of the first."

"Are you going to be okay with this?" Steve asked.

"No, but I'll adjust."

"Wait until Sunday to tell her. You can make the announcement at the party."

"Good idea. Hey, what's with this whole girl's night out thing, anyway?"

"You got me on that one. There are some thing's one shouldn't question. I have a feeling this is one of them."

"Jenny and your sister are going with them. Should we alert HPD, just in case?"

"Let's see, four soldiers, two sailors, an English teacher and my secretary. I'd suggest the SWAT team."

* * *

Steve got home at six, having stopped at the market to pick up fresh tuna steaks for dinner. He found Tom in the kitchen, mixing margaritas in the blender. Maggie, Mary Ann, and Vinnie were on the lanai, talking and laughing.

"Hey, Steve," Tom asked, "want a 'rita?"

"No thanks," he said, taking off his jacket and hanging it over the back of the nearest chair and loosening his tie, "how's it going?"

"They've all had several of these and seem to be getting along. Maggie and Vinnie are telling war stories. Get Vinnie to tell you about rescuing the goat on the pier. I think we may have missed out on a lot of fun by not having women on the ships when we were on active duty." Tom and Steve had both been stationed together at Coronado before shipping out to Hawaii and the Tonkin Gulf. Tom had taken one look at Mary Ann's college graduation photo and made a total pest of himself until Steve introduced them. They had married a year later, Steve turning down best man duties to escort his sister down the aisle.

"Maybe. The world's changing too fast, Brudah." The room darkened as the storm clouds started to move in from the north east.

"Don't I know it? Stephanie keeps getting letters from every branch of the armed services. I throw them away before she sees them. Especially after you brought in Waldrop. You did the Navy a real service when you caught that monster."

Steve nodded. Waldrop had been easy enough to collar, once Five-O knew what they were looking for, and thanks to the help of some very brave women and the new computer system installed in the basement at Iolani. "Looks like it's about to storm. Maybe we should have the ladies come inside."

The first loud peal of thunder shook the windows. From the lanai came loud screams and the shout of "Incoming!"

Steve and Tom nearly collided as they ran for the lanai.

At the fist sound of thunder, Maggie and Vinnie, who were sitting on either side of her, had grabbed Mary Ann and drug her under the table were all three were now crouched.

Vinnie recovered first. "Oh, hell," she said, "that was only thunder. That sounded a little too much like the big guns going off. You okay, there, Mary Ann?"

Steve and Tom found all three women huddled under the table. Mary Ann looked both confused and frightened. Vinne had the good grace to look embarrassed. Maggie was staring off into empty space, knees pulled to her chest, arms wrapped around her knees. Vinnie was already on her feet and helping Mary Ann up.

"Oh, shit!" Vinnie spat when she saw the blank look in Maggie's eyes. "She's got it. I knew she had it when I saw her in DC. I knew she had it when I saw her before she shipped out here. Fuck the damned Army and every fucking damned towel head on the fucking planet!" She shook a cigarette out of the pack on the table with hands shaking so badly she couldn't operate her lighter. After Tom lit the cigarette for her she took a long deep drag, blowing out a huge cloud of smoke as the nicotine in the tobacco soothed her frayed nerves.

Steve knelt down and took Maggie's hand. "It's okay, baby, it's just thunder." He said in the soft, gentle voice that cut through the nightmares and bad dreams. "Easy, baby, see, only thunder. The rain just started. Let's go in the house."

He helped her to her feet, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly. Thunder rumbled again, and he could feel her shaking. "Sssshusssh," he whispered. "I'm here. You're safe."

He could see that Mary Ann was frightened. He had a retroactive surge of guilt, wondering how many hours she had spent praying for his safety, and for Tom's, when they were at sea. Vinnie looked as mad as a wet cat.

"What's going on?" Tom asked.

"PTS fucking D," Vinnie said. "I've got the same shit, only mine's not nearly as bad 'cause I wasn't in a convoy that got ambushed by the damned Republic Guard. In case y'all didn't know it, my sister is a bona fide war hero. Just don't ask her about it. Brother-in-law," she said, glaring at Steve, "if you want to stay my friend you will take my sister somewhere quiet while I make her a cup of tea. Got it?"

Steve wasn't use to being ordered around, especially in his own house, only he was too concerned about Maggie to care. "Chamomile tea, with lemon and one sugar, please. Come on, my Little _Menehune_ , you need to lie down." He led her through the house and into the bedroom.

When she sat down on the edge of the bed he could see that she was crying. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just made one hell of an impression on your sister. This is so embarrassing."

"Sssshusssh" he whispered. "All of you will be laughing about this tomorrow."

"Not your sister! We scared her half to death!"

"She's got four kids and teaches honor's English at a school in LA that has armed security guards and metal detectors. It's going take more than a little thunder and a bad flashback to scare her." He went into the bathroom, coming out a few minutes later with a cool, damp washcloth. He took off her glasses and gently washed her face, washing away the tears and streaked mascara. A lock of hair had come loose from her braid; he tucked it behind her ear, kissing her softly as he did.

There was a knock at the door. Steve opened it to find Vinnie holding a cup of chamomile tea with a lemon wedge on the rim. She got right to the point. "What are the damned doctors giving her?"

"Paxil, for one, and zanex. She won't take either of them. Or the pain meds."

"Probably a good thing. That shit doesn't work. Believe me I've tried them all. Don't worry about dinner. Me and Mary Ann got it. You take care of my sister."

"Always," he said. He took the cup to Maggie. "Here, sweetie, chamomile tea. Just what the doctor ordered."

"Doctor Vinnie, medicine woman," she said, "well, she is a nurse, and she does work on a psyche ward."

"And they let her out?" He held her as she drank the tea. He could feel the tension and anxiety leaving her body. He had gotten very good at reading her emotions; and that was something he'd never experienced before with any woman he had ever known. When she finished the tea, he put the cup on the nightstand.

"Feel up to facing the rest of the world just yet?" he asked.

"I think I'll get a shower first. Thank you for putting up with my craziness."

"It's all part of the package, my Little _Menehune_. Want some company in the shower?" he said, kissing her neck and gently nibbling the soft warm skin of her shoulder.

"Stop being irresistible," she said. But then he kissed her and suddenly everything was right with the world.

* * *

Beverly had gone back to the barracks at Hickem to shower and change after she left Iolani Palace and to pack a few things for the weekend. She and Danny weren't 'officially' living together; she just spent most nights at his place. _I am living in sin with the sweetest man who ever lived_ , she thought, _my mother would have a stroke_. She was certain that her mother wouldn't approve of Danny. For starters, he read too much, and books other than the Bible, and he was gentle, and well spoken, and, this being the part that would truly send her fundamentalist mother into orbit if she knew, he was a passionate and considerate lover who took his own sweet time and made every nerve ending in her body tingle with anticipation. Outside the bedroom, he was her mentor and teacher and possibly the best friend she'd ever had.

The weeks she had spent working at Iolani were the happiest time of her life. She liked working with the rest of the crew. Chin Ho Kelly and his wife had practically adopted her, and were now Uncle Chin and Auntie Lin. She was at their house almost as often as she was at Danny's, and loved playing with the little ones, especially Tilda, the youngest of the eight Kelly children. Kono, she had decided, was a big flirt with a quirky sense of humor. She loved listening to his stories about Hawaiian folklore and outlandish tales of surfing. She'd even gotten use to working in close proximity with Commander McGarrett, whom everyone said was much easier to live with since he'd met that little silver haired Army sergeant.

She drove back to Danny's condo, singing along with the cd player. On Friday nights they usually went out to dinner, or to concert, or if it was a nice evening, walking on the beach. One night they'd gone to the planetarium. They had raised the armrest between the seats and had cuddled together under a blanket while watching the stars projected on the domed ceiling. Danny was showing her an entirely new world, one that she had never even dreamed of in Demopolis, Alabama.

She unlocked the door to the condo to find a room lit by candlelight. Danny came out of the kitchen, carrying a single long stemmed rose wrapped with silver ribbon.

"Wow! This is so beautiful," she said. "What's the occasion?"

"Do we really need one?" he said, taking her in his arms. He kissed her then, his lips finding hers, hers parting softly under his. He smiled down at her. "If you really do need an occasion, how about this one? I love you."

He had never said that before. Just that if he wasn't careful he was going to fall in love with her. "You mean it?" she asked, looking up into those azure blue eyes.

"Yes, I mean it. You are the most amazing woman I've ever met. You're brave, and strong, and tough as nails, and sweet and soft and gentle all at the same time. I don't know when it happened, or how it happened, I'm just very happy that it did."

Her arms tightened around his neck. "You are one of the good ones. I think I've loved you since that day we were on the _Edmonds_ and I looked up into those calm blue eyes. I love you, Officer Williams." She went up on her toes to kiss him again, her lips soft and warm against his.

"I think dinner is going to be a little late," he said as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.

* * *

Vinnie and Mary Ann were putting the finishing touches on dinner when Steve, wearing an aloha shirt, jeans, and deck shoes, came back into the kitchen. Tom was sitting at the table, beer in hand, enjoying a rare moment without a pack of teenagers around.

"What'd you do with my sister?" Vinnie demanded.

"She's getting dressed. She's better," he said. _For now at least_ , he added silently. "She'll be out in a few minutes."

"Good," said Vinnie, "now I can get the tuna started. Those steaks look fresh."

"They were swimming this morning," Steve said.

"Steve," Mary Ann asked. "What happened to Maggie to cause the PTSD?"

Steve took a deep breath. "She doesn't like to talk about it, so I'm going to give you the short version. She was in a convoy that was ambushed in the desert about forty miles from the Kuwait border. She was pinned under an overturned HumVee, yet somehow managed to take out the mortar emplacement and four members of the Republican Guard with a grenade launcher. Earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart."

"Yeah, and six months at Walter Reed after they wired her spine back together," said Vinnie. "My sister is a genuine bad ass; only thing is she still don't remember most of it because she had one hella concussion to go along with everything else. She was hurt bad. I got choppered off the ship to the hospital at Riyadh 'cause they didn't think she'd make it through the day, much less to the hospital in Germany. I coulda told them they were wrong. Takes more than a mortar to kill a Thibodeaux."

"Enough war stories for one night," Maggie said as she entered the room, wearing leggings and a loose gauzy cotton top. "Something smells divine. Did y'all know that Vinnie here is the one cook the Navy had that actually knew how to cook?"

Steve and Tom, both Navy veterans, blanched and looked at each other. Navy chow when they were at sea wasn't known for being appetizing.

"Don't worry, Brother-In-Law, I haven't poisoned anyone… yet." Vinnie said, flashing an evil grin that was almost identical to one he'd seen on Maggie when he knew she was up to something.

That brought a round of laughter from the girls. Steve sat down by Tom, who handed him a cold beer. He very seldom drank anything containing alcohol. Tonight he'd make an exception. All three of the women were getting along famously as they set the table in the dining room and started carrying in the food.

Then it dawned on him. He was happy.


	3. Chapter 3

"Listen, buddy," Lu said. "It's got to look exactly like this picture. You get?"

"Like picture," said the artist, wondering what in the name of all the Christian hells combined did he do to deserve what had just walked into his shop.

Grace Thompson was first up, reclining in the chair, shirt off, wearing a lacy white bra. "It goes on the left one," she said.

Lu unbuttoned her top. "Like this, buddy. Same position. And you better get it right, you got three to do, unless Jenny changes her mind, then you got four."

"My husband would have a fit," Jenny said, still horrified at the suggestion.

"Jenny, you've been putting up with that bunch for the last ten years," Maggie said. "We'll be happy to make you an honorary member."

Jenny shook her head. This was not how she imagined a girl's night out.

Mary Ann spoke up quietly. "I want the Life Interrupted one."

Maggie looked up at Mary Ann, "You sure?"

"Yes, with the dates next to it. On my wrist, that way my watch will cover it most of the time."

"Mine's going at the top of the scar on my back. The Army gets a little shirty over visible tats on females. Where are you putting yours, Beverly?"

"Right shoulder. That way it'll be left boob, right shoulder. I want it to balance. And I want DW next to it."

"You sure about that? Maggie asked. "I mean, this is permanent. It's not going to come off if something goes wrong."

"It doesn't matter," Beverly said. "He's the best thing that's happened to me so far, and if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't know the rest of you."

"Sounds reasonable to me," Ivory said. Her mama was going to have a fit when she found out.

Vinnie and Shelby Lawson were looking around the shop, seeing if anything struck their fancy. Beverly had met Shelby at the airport. Then they had gone back to the Iolani where she and the retired Senior Chief had closeted themselves in an interrogation room for an hour. When they finally came out, it was apparent both women had been crying.

"Everybody got their minds made up?" Lu asked. "Like the girl said, this ain't coming off."

There was a chorus of assents from the group, including a small squeak from Jenny.

"You change your mind?" Ivory asked.

"Oh, why not? Only I want mine smaller. And not there!"

"You go, girl!" said Lu. "We'll get you hooked up! Yo, buddy, you got a shopfull of women, we're all sober, and we're paying cash. It's your lucky night! Start inking!"

* * *

It was well after midnight when Maggie, Mary Ann, and Vinnie let themselves back in the house. Mary Ann and Vinnie tiptoed upstairs while Maggie tried to sneak into the bedroom without waking Steve. She had a quick shower, brushed her teeth, and pulled on a pair of silk pj's before climbing into the opposite side of the bed, spooning against his warm body, her back to his front. He stirred a little, pulling her closer.

"How was girl's night out?" he asked, sleepily.

"We had a blast. Jenny is very funny after a couple of margaritas." She turned over and kissed him gently on the lips. "The good thing about girl's night out is I knew you'd be waiting here when I got home."

She could feel his hands sliding under her pajama top, warm against her bare skin. She loved the way it felt when he touched her, softly and gently, until every cell in her body was demanding more. He unbuttoned her top, exposing her breasts. "Beautiful," he whispered, kissing them, his tongue caressing her nipples until he felt her pulse increase and heard her soft sighs of pleasure. His lips traveled further down, kissing the velvety smooth skin of her belly. He slowly slid the pajama bottoms down her legs, his tongue tasting the warm flesh, trailing ever downward to the secret places that he loved to touch and taste until he could feel her body trembling with desire, then, and only then, he eased his body into hers, two becoming one, physically and spiritually, the fit so perfect it was as if they had been made for each other, her pelvis arching up to meet his as she held him, her arms wrapped around his neck, her soft body yielding to his until pleasure overcame them both.

"I love you, my Little _Menehune_ ," he whispered as he collapsed on top of her. She loved the way the weight of his body felt against hers, warm and solid and comforting.

"I love you, too," she whispered back. They both soon fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms, drifting off on a pink cloud of love and exceptionally good sex.

* * *

As usual, Maggie's internal alarm woke her at 0430. She awoke, still sated from last nights lovemaking, happy, and, she realized, knowing exactly where she was, secure and safe in the arms of the man she had fallen so deeply in love with in such a very short time.

She felt his lips brush her cheek. "Good morning, pretty lady," Steve said, holding her close. "Sunrise is in about half an hour. Want to go for a walk on the beach?"

"Best part of the morning with my best guy," she said. They dressed hurriedly. She ran a brush through her tangled hair. It had become a ritual with them since the first night they'd spent together. On the rare mornings when neither of them had to work, they'd walk on the beach and watch the sun rise.

"I always thought it was the part where we make love until noon," he said, teasingly.

"I don't think we're going to get to that this morning," she said as they walked down the narrow path to the beach.

"You're right; a house full of guests and Kono and his cousin are going to be here around seven to get the imu going for the pig."

"This is going to be some party," she said.

"It's a luau, lots of food and lots of music, and my Little _Menehune._ "

They walked barefoot on the beach, holding hands as the surf washed over their feet and the sun rose over the Pacific.

Tom and Mary Ann had the same idea. They caught up with them just as the sun was beginning its ascent.

"Y'all are up awfully early," Maggie said.

"That's because we're still on LA time," Tom said.

"Sis, what did you do to your wrist?" Steve asked, noticing the bandage there.

"Cooking mishap," she said, blushing. "Nothing serious. And quit with the cop look, it's not going to work this morning."

Policeman's instinct told him she was fibbing. He suspected it was more a 'girl's night out mishap' than one from cooking. "Okay, I'm off duty for the rest of the day. I've got my two best girls with me, and that's one beautiful sunrise," he said, looking out to sea.

Mary Ann and Tom exchanged glances, smiling at each other. For years Mary Ann had despaired that her brother would never find the right woman. Now it would seem that he had. She put one arm around Steve's waist, and one around Tom's and the four of them stood there, one perfect moment of tranquility.

When they got back to the house, Vinnie had made coffee and started breakfast.

It was going to be a good day.

* * *

People started arriving at noon. Lu was first, followed by the Thompson Twins, Ivory Thompson accompanied by Robbie Compton. Kono had been there since seven, and the pig was baking on a layer of hot coals, lava rocks and banana leaves, sending the smell of roasting pork wafting through the air. Chin Ho and his wife arrived with five of their eight children and a huge container of homemade eggrolls. Jenny arrived around two, with her husband and two of her kids. Colonel Dale and his wife dropped by soon after. Vinnie had invited Shelby Lawson, and she arrived with Beverly and Danny. Various officers from HPD and other police agencies dropped by, along with Che Fong and Dr. Bergman and their wives. The house at the end of Kalamanu Drive was suddenly alive with the sound of laughter and music and people having a good time.

Lu was helping put food out on the buffet tables when she suddenly grabbed Maggie's arm. "Who is that silver haired Hawaiian?" she asked. "The tall one with the glasses?"

Maggie looked in the direction she was pointing. "That's Duke Lukela. He's with HPD. Very nice man. His wife passed away from breast cancer over a year ago."

"What's the possibility of an introduction?" she asked. Even from across the lanai, she could tell there was a quiet intensity about the man.

"I'll ask Steve, they've been friends for years. Why so shy all of a sudden?"

"Never you mind. When's the unveiling?"

"In about an hour. I hope Jenny's husband doesn't stroke out."

"Wait until officer blue eyes sees what his little sailor has gone and done." Lu said. She hadn't seen Maggie this animated since before the Gulf War. Vinnie was in agreement with Lu. The veil of sadness that had surrounded her sister for so long had been lifted.

Lu went over to Vinnie and whispered something to her. Vinnie nodded, and they crossed the yard to where Steve was sitting talking to Colonel Dale. With Lu on one side and Vinnie on the other, they kissed him on each cheek. "Thank you, Commander," Lu said.

"She's coming back to life." Vinnie said.

"You did it. You're bringing her back," Lu said.

"Yeah, Brother-in-law, it's like she's waking up. Thank you for giving me my sister back."

Steve really didn't know what to say. "You are most welcome. She is truly amazing."

"And don't you ever forget it!" Vinnie said. She grabbed two beers out of the cooler and wandered over to talk to Kono.

Duke spotted the tall blonde talking to Steve. There was something intriguing about her he couldn't quite pin down. He crossed the lanai, hoping for an introduction. Steve caught the look that Duke had given Lu, and quickly introduced them.

"Pleased to meet you, Sgt Yablanski," Duke said, taking her hand.

"It's Susan, actually," she said, wondering if he'd felt the same tingle when their hands had touched.

Steve stood up. "If you will excuse me, I need to get something out of the way so I can enjoy the rest of the party." He crossed to where Danny was standing, watching Beverly playing with Chin and Jenny's kids. "Now's as good a time as any. Meet me in the living room." Danny nodded and went to fetch Beverly.

A few minutes later, Steve told her what he'd been planning since they had returned from Singapore.

"Beverly, you're being wasted loading cargo. I pulled your file. Your test scores are off the charts. I've been watching you while you've been working at Five-O. You're intelligent, you've got good common sense to go along with it, and you learn fast and you can think on your feet. I once asked you about a career in law enforcement. I'm offering you one now. There's a class starting at Quantico in two weeks. It's the same class that all federal agents go through; only this one is designed for the military. It's a year long, and you'll have to extend your military service for three years, but when you're done, you'll get a commission, and you'll come back here to Honolulu NCIS. And when you're done with the Navy, there will be a place waiting for you at Five-O."

Beverly sat there, dumbfounded, holding Danny's hand. Commander McGarrett had just offered her an opportunity she thought she'd never have. She was speechless. She looked over at Danny, who smiled at her, and nodded. "It's up to you, honey. It's a once in a lifetime offer."

She looked into his calm blue eyes. "What does Officer Williams have to say about all this?"

Danny looked down into those russet colored eyes that he'd come to love. "That he's going to be racking up a lot of frequent flier miles."

"YES!" she said, and before she thought about what she'd done, she threw her arms around Steve's neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, sir!" she said, blushing. "I will do my best!" Embarrassed, she buried her face against Danny's shoulder.

 _One step at a time_ , Steve thought, _and we change the world, or in this case, Five-O_. "Come on, you two, back to the party. I think Maggie and Lu have got something planned, I'm just not sure what it is."

"It's super secret girl's stuff, sir!" Beverly said, suddenly feeling like she should have felt at sixteen, had she been given the opportunity. Better late than never. She stood on her toes to kiss Danny and practically danced out of the room.

Steve looked over at his second in command. It was easy to see the boy was hopelessly smitten by the young sailor from Alabama. _These women in uniform are going to be the ones to change the world. They truly can win hearts and minds_.

"Come on, Danno, I'll buy you a beer," he said, patting Danny on the back. They strolled out into the warm Hawaiian evening to the beer cooler, pulling out one for Danny and one for himself. Lu, Maggie, Mary Ann, the Thompson's and Jenny were in some sort of a girl huddle. Compton strolled over to grab a beer.

"You have any idea what they're up too, Compton?" Steve asked.

"Not a clue, sir. Although I believe it includes a lot of giggling and possibly alcohol."

"Best we let the ladies take care of it then."

Lu, Maggie, the Thompson's, Mary Ann, Beverly and Jenny all lined up on the lanai, Jenny looking slightly nervous. Lu called the group to attention.

"Today," Lu said, in voice that could only have been attained through years of Army training. "Today we gather to initiate three new members of the Circle of the Rose Warriors. Long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…"

"Germany!" Maggie announced in a voice that screamed non-com.

"Yes, Germany, land of cheap beer, cuckoo clocks, and nutcrackers, a group of women got together and decided they'd had about enough crap from command and formed the Circle of the Rose Warriors. We know this is a fact because:"

"NO SHIT I WAS THERE!" chorused every woman there who had ever worn a uniform.

"And to set ourselves apart from the ordinary rabble we chose a symbol of strength, and beauty, and danger. The Rose. Because while roses may look delicate and smell divine, if you grab one wrong, you end up with a handful of nasty, hooky thorns. On that day, it was decreed that any woman found worthy of admission to the Circle, would receive the mark of the Rose on their left breast, as a symbol, and as a reminder, that while we may be delicate flowers, we are still capable of inflicting pain should we be handled wrong."

"Today we greet three new Warriors: Specialist Grace Thompson, Specialist Ivory Thompson, and Yeoman Beverly Patterson. And now it's time: Ladies! Bare 'em!"

Beverly, and the Thompson's dropped the camp shirts they were wearing to the ground, Underneath they were wearing tank tops with lace trim designed to set off the roses tattooed on their left breast.

Danny and Compton stared, eyes wide open. So this was the reason behind girl's night out.

Lu continued on. "Every now and then, there is a woman, who, while not military, has displayed unusual courage in everyday life. In this case, it's a woman who has managed to keep some very high strung, testosterone fueled males out of trouble and on time for the last ten years. Jenny Sherman, you are now an honorary member of the Circle of the Rose Warriors. Bare 'em!"

Jenny dropped her shirt to the ground. Her tattoo was smaller and on her left shoulder.

"But wait," Lu said. "There's more!"

"There comes a time, when life can throw you one hell of a curve ball. Sometimes, every plan, every hope, every dream you ever had is interrupted by events that are beyond your control. It could be anything. It could be war, or divorce, or the death of someone you loved so dearly you can't imagine life without them. Or an illness, in my case, it was breast cancer, and let me say I've been cancer free for the over five years now." This brought a loud cheer from everyone present. "It could be any catastrophic event that could have ended your life, but didn't. It means that you are a survivor. For that reason, the symbol of a life interrupted is a semi-colon; because as anyone who paid attention in English class knows, a semi-colon is where the writer could have stopped writing, but chose to go on. It's a symbol of hope; that life goes on and it's up to us to do something with it. Today we induct three new members into the Order of A Life Interrupted, and they are Yeoman Beverly Patterson, Sergeant First Class Margaret Alden, and Mary Ann McGarrett Whalen. Ladies, bare 'em!"

Beverly turned around to show the tattoo of a semi-colon followed by the initials DW on her right shoulder, Maggie turned to show the words Desert Storm followed by a semi-colon above the scar the snaked down her spine. Mary Ann removed the gauze from her left wrist, showing two dates that were too close together followed by a semi-colon.

"And, that, friends and neighbors, is what courage is made of. Thank you! Now somebody get me a beer!"

There was cheering, there was applause, there where hugs and handshakes. Steve hugged his sister, knowing that she'd forgiven him long ago, and maybe now realizing it was time to forgive himself. Tom just held her. It was all she really needed.

Jenny's husband, far from being upset, thought the tattoo gave his petite little wife a bit of a wild flair he didn't know she had and was giving him a few ideas that he'd really like to put into action, once the kids were sleeping.

Music started playing, obviously chosen by some of the younger guests, since it was mostly rock and roll. Aerosmith was singing about angels.

Danny held Beverly as they danced, holding her as if he never wanted to let her go. He kept telling himself, _it's only for a year. Then why does it seem like eternity?_

"You are my angel," he whispered in her ear. "My beautiful angel and I love you."

"I will love you forever," she whispered back. She knew that with his love she could do anything. "You are my angel, my love, my life."

Tom held Mary Ann. Tommy would have been 21 this year. In the awful days after he had passed, he wondered if Mary Ann was going to survive. The first year after had been a nightmare. He suspected that Steve had spent a fortune on plane tickets and trans Pacific phone calls, but they had been there for her, and she'd survived and gone on to present him with four beautiful and healthy children. "Have I told you how much I love you recently?" he asked.

"Not as often as you use to, but I know you do," she said. After over 25 years of marriage she was still as in love with him as she was the day they wed.

"I'm going to have to tell you more often. Besides, it'll horrify the kids."

She smiled at him, her blue eyes sparkling in the twilight. "Then I say we start now. Want to go upstairs?"

Steve was wandering around the lanai, talking, laughing. Chin Ho nudged him with an elbow, pointing to a spot under one of the trees. Lu and Duke were sitting on a blanket, talking and drinking beer, and, for the first time since his wife had passed away, Duke was smiling like he meant it. Chin nodded his approval and went to see if maybe his wife would like to dance.

Steve found Maggie sitting at one of the tables, watching the crowd. Aerosmith was singing about not wanting to fall asleep. He held out a hand. "May I have this dance, Sergeant?" he asked.

She smiled up at him. "I'd love to, Commander."

He held her close as they danced in the twilight. The new moon rose over the ocean, and the stars came out.

He had found her. Life was good.


End file.
